


Solving the Meat Incident

by seitsemannen



Category: GOT7
Genre: Dorms, Fluff, M/M, Major Pettiness, Misunderstandings, Original Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 00:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5518469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seitsemannen/pseuds/seitsemannen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The next, and the last, time Jinyoung brings up the Meat Incident.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Solving the Meat Incident

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Secret Santa fic for sailorsadist on ahgase.livejournal.com. She requested Jinyoung, Jackson and Coco, and this is what my mind came up with. Of course with those two, petty!Junior is invited to the party. Enjoy, and have a Merry Christmas~

“Jinyoung, have you seen Coco?”

 

Jinyoung looked up from the movie script he was reading on his bed to gaze at Jackson, who was standing by the sliding door to his room, his posture casual as he leant onto the frame of the door, but his expression worried.

 

“I haven't, my door has been closed. Isn't she in her pen?”

 

Jinyoung and Jackson were the only ones residing at their dorm currently, so they were tasked with taking care of the Maltese dog of the group, Coco. Coco was on paper Mark’s and Youngjae’s dog, but the whole group took care of her whenever they were at the dorms. The others were currently away, spending time with their family and friends or whatever they had chosen to do with the two days vacation JYPE had given them right before Christmas and the Gayos. Jackson didn’t have time to go to Hong Kong to see his parents since he still had some of his own variety schedules, but he said it was fine as he had just had the possibility to see his parents during the MAMA’s in Hong Kong. Jinyoung had gone up to visit his family briefly, but since his siblings were busy with school and his parents had to work as there wasn’t any real holiday going on, he came back to the dorms after having dinner with his family. To Jackson he explained that he was only going to be a bother to his parents as they would feel guilty having him alone at home during the day. Jinyoung did need some peace and quiet since he needed to study the script of the movie he had just been cast in, but his parents wouldn’t like him working at home, so Jinyoung had found it easier to just return to the dorms.

 

Another reason was that Jinyoung knew how lonely Jackson got when he was left to his own devices, so he returned to the dorms to keep the same-age boy company. Jinyoung didn’t mention this reason to Jackson though, knowing that the other boy didn’t want his pity.

 

“I checked from her pen, she isn’t there. She must be somewhere in the dorm though. Help me find her?”

 

There was no need for Jackson to get help from Jinyoung to find their dorm puppy, there really weren't many places she could successfully hide in, and Jinyoung was sure she'd come running if she heard the rustling of the dog food bag. This was just Jackson, finding an excuse to get Jinyoung away from his reading, to spend some time with him instead.

 

“Fine, I'll come.” Jinyoung knew all that, and he still stood no chance to refuse.

 

It was difficult for Jinyoung to think clearly when he was alone with Jackson. It was almost impossible to tell the other boy no.

 

Jinyoung hated that.

 

He had always prided himself on being a rational person who thought things through, considered the different aspects and acted based on the observations and conclusions. It was rare that anyone got him so overwhelmed with emotions that he'd act on impulse. Jaebum had been the first to ever manage that. The duo had at first despised each other, but as they worked and matured together, they learned to use their different standpoints as their strength, testing their ideas in each other's eyes and formulating solutions that worked from both of the angles for the benefit of them, and later on, their group.

 

Jackson was… another thing.

 

They had never despised one another. They were the same age, so there wasn't the same competing position as with Jaebum. They were in a group of seven, and that was a far easier setting than debuting in a duo.

 

But because of first impressions Jinyoung had ignored Jackson when they were trainees. Jinyoung had thought the outspoken, outgoing boy arrogant, and because Jackson knew so little of dancing, rapping and singing before starting as a trainee, Jinyoung had underestimated him. He definitely hadn't expected ending up in the same group as the Hong Kongese boy, especially after having already debuted before. But when they were put into the same group and Jinyoung finally let himself to get to know the boy, he learned to see him for the deep and profound person he was.

 

They had grown to be quite close, actually. On the surface it seemed like they clashed a lot, but they really brought the best out of each other. They understood each other’s weaknesses and issues, pushed each other to do their best, and helped each other see that they were actually quite good in things they were not that confident about. Jinyoung and Jackson talked a lot in depth about difficult subjects, and they confided in one another.

 

But Jackson also brought out the worst in Jinyoung. He had a way of getting under Jinyoung’s skin without even trying sometimes, making the singer snap and display behaviour he really thought he would be mature enough to avoid by now. Jinyoung just reacted more strongly to the things Jackson said, and because the rapper was the kind of  person who was very straightforward in his words, not hesitating to say things that many others would have considered to be too bold or thoughtless, Jinyoung snapped at him a lot. 

 

Jinyoung hated it. It was just like when Jackson spoke, Jinyoung’s brain forgot to turn on the rationality filter that would have told him to take what the Hong Kongese boy said with a pinch of salt.

 

And when Jinyoung snapped or got angry, he wasn’t good at making it all better. At all. He held grudges and it took serious effort to get him to admit he had been wrong, not to even mention apologizing for any of it. It was a stark contrast to usual arguments in the group, where Jinyoung kept his cool and would act as a mediator to get all parties to listen to what the others were saying and to see the issue also from their point of view. Jinyoung felt ashamed of snapping so often at his friend, but whenever he tried to apologize, Jackson would end up saying something that made him angry again, and the cycle continued.

 

After the last time Jinyoung had resolved to try and avoid situations where he might snap at Jackson. It was a shame, since that meant avoiding being alone with just the two of them, and that meant the end of their in-depth conversations. Jinyoung missed his friend and those conversations, but he thought the sacrifice would be worth it, if Jinyoung spent this time trying to figure out what his problem with Jackson was, so that they could be all better once he dealt with his issues.

 

Avoiding being alone with Jackson hadn’t really helped though. Jinyoung had still managed to let some of his bad behaviour slip on broadcasts, getting annoyed at Jackson over nothing and bringing up old issues that were starting to look really stupid now that fans had seen them argue about the same things for months.

 

So he had come to the conclusion that it was a moot point trying to avoid being alone with Jackson, and had come to the dorms earlier to be a friend when Jackson needed company. Jinyoung didn’t really know what to do about his inability to keep his cool and his good sense in Jackson’s company, other than to just try harder to think before he reacted in a negative way to something relatively innocent that Jackson would say.

 

Easier said than done. Jackson got Jinyoung worked up like no one else. It was like he felt everything in the extreme when it was concerning Jackson - both the good and the bad things. When everything was well, Jinyoung would feel happy for the other more than he would have thought he could feel. He was so proud when Jackson achieved more and more with his career, and wanted to help and support the other in any way he could. And in their private lives, Jinyoung was more content in Jackson’s company than anywhere else. Jackson’s friendly touch brought Jinyoung more comfort that any amount of reassuring words.

 

But when it was bad, it was awful. Jinyoung knew he was a jealous person - he had always been, within his family, among groups of friends, with the girlfriends he had had. But the jealousy he felt for Jackson topped all those. Jinyoung tried to ignore it, as it was in completely irrational proportions. They were a group of seven, of course Jackson was friendly with the others, and Jackson was an idol, he had an image to upkeep in the public. Jinyoung didn’t know what exactly triggered the jealousness - he seemed just fine with Jackson hanging with the others most of the time, like he should be. Jinyoung wanted to spend time in the company of the other members too, enjoying his quiet moments with Mark and his banter with Jaebum. It was just that sometimes, something Jackson said or did made Jinyoung’s chest clench, and if there was in that moment a chance to snap at the other boy, he would.

 

It was so exhausting. The sheer strength of everything Jackson made him feel tired Jinyoung out. He knew that to actually solve whatever issues he had with Jackson, he would have to figure out how to stop reacting so strongly to everything Jackson did. But it wasn’t a thing he could just turn off. He wasn’t really sure he even wanted to - the flutter of happiness he felt when leaning on Jackson’s chest seemed worth the stab of hurt he felt when Jackson ignored him to be with someone else.

 

Jinyoung knew he wasn’t being entirely honest to himself about the situation, but if he admitted to ignoring implications, it wasn’t really denial, right?

 

***

 

They checked for Coco in all of the rooms and under the beds. Despite Jinyoung knowing that Coco could be easily convinced to come out with treats, he didn't complain about Jackson’s search tactics, enjoying the same-age boy’s company now that he had bothered to get up and away from his movie script. Not that Jinyoung would admit that out loud.

 

Jackson was being more touchy than usual though. The same-age boy draped an arm around Jinyoung's shoulders when he tried to move past him, and touched Jinyoung’s arms, back and knee whenever they were crouching to look for the Maltese dog on the ground. Whenever Jackson leant too close, like when they were digging through the pile of plushies lying on the living room floor, the smell of his cologne washed over Jinyoung, making something ache in his chest. Maybe because he was suffocating in it. Jinyoung didn't know why the smell of Jackson's cologne seemed so distinctive to him, like he could recognize it even if he were in a crowd wearing a blindfold. He didn't even know when he had started paying attention to what Jackson smelled like, and it disturbed him.

 

Why did the other boy have to lean so close anyway? There was plenty of space. Had Jackson's need for skinship always been this great? Jinyoung didn't know anymore.

 

They found Coco sleeping in a pile of laundry in Jaebum's and Youngjae's room, the puppy happily unaware that she had worried her caretakers. Jinyoung watched Jackson lift Coco up with the same gentleness he directed towards women, and Jinyoung felt another prick in his chest for absolutely no rational reason. He bit his cheek, keeping his face devoid of the tangle of emotions he was feeling. These feelings were completely unnecessary. Jinyoung didn't want them. There was nothing to benefit from them.

 

Jinyoung was so deep in his thoughts he didn't register Jackson turning to him and asking a question, having set Coco down in her pen so they wouldn’t have to guess where she was again. “Ah, sorry, I was spacing out. What did you say?”

 

The expression on Jackson's face was half amusement, half concern. The blond rapper reached one hand to rest his fingers on Jinyoung's arm, and Jinyoung barely resisted the urge to shiver at the tingle he felt from the touch.

 

“I said, there's a new restaurant down the street that just opened this week. I thought we could go check it out?”

 

“Why don't you ask Bambam when he comes back?”

 

… See, Jinyoung, that was a moment when you were supposed to think before reacting.

 

But it was too late, he had already said his first, hurtful reaction aloud. Now it was too late to think and take the words back, his pride wouldn’t let him.

 

The damage was done. Jinyoung saw Jackson’s face fall, the other boy’s eyebrows scrunching and his lips pursing into a frown. It made Jinyoung feel like cold water was dumped on him, but at the same time he felt the muscles in his shoulders tense in annoyance, his pettiness sticking with him even though some rational part of him was screaming to him that he was in the wrong, that Jackson had said nothing wrong. It howled at him that he was the one who kept bringing this issue up because of insecurity that had no base in anything, because of jealousy he had no right to feel in this extent, but Jinyoung could not admit that it was right.

 

Apparently this time Jackson had had enough of his childishness. The rapper sighed, taking hold of Jinyoung’s arm again as the singer had apparently shrugged him off as he had snapped. His grip was firm, but not so that it’d hurt. Jinyoung knew that if he pulled his arm away, Jackson would let it go, but the rapper was not backing away unless Jinyoung insisted.

 

“What is it with you, Jinyoung?! I asked  _ you _ to go to eat with me now! You keep bringing up that one time I went to eat Bambam over and over again, although I have gone to eat with you multiple times after that. When will you let off?”

 

Never, apparently.

 

“It’s not the same thing to go eat noodles as to go eat meat. Doesn’t that mean he’s worth more to you as a friend?”

 

Jinyoung had voiced this fear of his many times before, but those time too had been as an accusation instead of any constructive format. But Jinyoung felt more insecure about this than he felt was sensible, so he disguised it under attacking words and mean claims.

 

“No, it doesn’t! Jinyoung please, I'm trying to make things right. I'll even treat you, okay?” Jackson's tone was pacifying, his eyes pleading and now both of his hands squeezing Jinyoung's arms in an effort to reassure the singer of his sincere intentions.

 

Jinyoung understood this, but he was too deep in his emotional turmoil to stop. “It's not the same to treat me to noodles when you treat another to Korean beef.”

 

“You don't even know what kind of a restaurant it is!”

 

“Well, what is it?”

 

“Uh, it's a chicken wings shop, but that really doesn't matter--”

 

Jinyoung pulled himself away from Jackson's grip, and the other boy let him. It should be a relief, but instead Jinyoung took it as a sign of the other boy giving up on him.

 

“Yes it does. You go eat meat with your closest people, and chicken and noodles with less important ones, so--”

 

“No, Jinyoung, listen, it's not like that, just--”

 

“Yes, it is. It's a clear indication, and I get you loud and clear - you prefer Bambam, I get it, don't let me bother you--”

 

“Jinyoung, will you stop, and listen to me--”

 

“No, I think I've had enough.” Jinyoung knew he was a coward for turning away and not seeing this through, for not making the effort to solve the situation and face what he felt.

 

Unfortunately, Jackson was not letting him off the hook this time. Jinyoung heard Jackson curse beneath his breath before taking a few jogging steps to reach the retreating boy, and Jinyoung felt warm fingers wrap around his bicep to turn him back around to face the blond again. Another round of self-pitying, accusing, poisonous words were on Jinyoung's lips, ready to cause more damage to their suffering friendship no matter what Jackson had to say.

 

But Jackson didn't have anything to say.

 

Those who say that time stops when they kiss are lying. Time doesn't stop - the moment is over in the blink of an eye. But it is like you're hit by an imaginary car and you're flying in the air, frozen in shock, trying to comprehend what just happened, before you hit the ground.

 

So. That just happened.

 

“Jinyoung,  _ please listen _ . It's because I like you. I treated Bambam to Korean beef because I like you, and I accidentally confessed that to him one time when I was drunk, so I had to buy his silence and the price was meat.” Jackson's breath shuddered as he drew it slowly. His eyes were wild, scared and darting all over Jinyoung's face to gauge his reaction, but the singer was still too in shock to know how to react to any of this. Anxious to fill the silence with something, Jackson continued his rushed confession.

 

“I know you've been avoiding me, but if it's because of the meat incident, I want you to know that it 100% doesn't mean I value you less than Bambam, like, at all. But uh, sorry for springing this on you, sorry about the kiss, I just, I got so frustrated and I needed you to shut up for a moment but um, it doesn't have to mean anything. In fact, the fact that I like you doesn't have to mean anything either, we can act like I never said anything and just go back to the way it was before, I just, I didn't want you to distance yourself from me because of that, I'm sorry.”

 

Jinyoung's brain was finally booting, registering what Jackson said and going it through.

 

“You like me.”

 

Jackson winced. “Yes.”

 

“You, like,  _ like _ like me.”

 

“Heh, funny how that was a valid sentence.” Jackson was trying to deflect with humour, to belittle his words and make this whole situation seem like it wasn't a big deal.

 

It was a big deal.

 

“Wang Jackson, answer the question.”

 

Jackson sighed, defeated, gathering his courage for a moment.

 

“Fine. Yes, I, Wang Ka-Yee Jackson, confess to liking you, Park Jinyoung, in that way. Okay? It's no big deal. I won’t mention it again, and you won't notice a difference in my behaviour. It's okay.”

 

“No.” Jinyoung could hear the blood rushing in his ears, his fingers feeling numb as he clenched them into fists. His heart was thumping loud and painful in his chest, his brains struggling to understand the tangle of emotions that was making it difficult for him to breathe. It was like nothing made any sense anymore.

 

Jackson let go of his bicep, his eyes filled with worry and slight panic, raising his hands in a pacifying manner and licking his lips in a nervous manner, clearly distressed.

 

“I'm so sorry, Jinyoung, I didn't mean to bring more strain into our friendship, I just… You were never supposed to know, I got too overwhelmed in the moment, I'm sorry. I promise I'll do everything to prove that this won't get in the way of the group, or our friendship, and if you need me to back off for a while I can do that, just, please don't hate me. If there's anything I can do to make this better,  _ please _ let me know.”

 

Jinyoung swallowed, unclenching and clenching his fingers a couple of times as he tried to get a grip on himself and this situation. As an actor he was always aware of the expressions on his face, and he knew he looked like a deer in the headlights right now, frozen when he should flee. His heart was screaming at him, but it didn’t speak the same language as his mind, so he didn’t understand. His good sense was telling him to excuse himself, to run away, to hide and figure these feelings out with rational thinking, alone.

 

The back of his head was telling him to take a risk, to act on an impulse, to test a theory so crazy he couldn’t fully grasp yet.

 

Not listening to his rational mind and instead acting on impulse had gotten Jinyoung into this mess. It was what had made him act like a fool around Jackson, snapping over stupid things. Nothing good had yet come out of being impulsive around Jackson Wang. But it wasn’t his rational mind that caused this tangle of emotions in his chest, or the ache in his heart. There was no sense in it, and Jinyoung wasn’t sure if he could logic his way through this mess of emotions.

 

But taking a leap of faith and going with his gut was scary. Jinyoung was no good at that. But he had to try.

 

“Kiss me again.”

 

It was hardly a breath, not even a whisper. Jinyoung wasn’t even sure those words left his mouth. It had taken all of his will power to form those words somehow.

 

But the crazy thought was that if he had a moment of that feeling of the kiss again, he could maybe figure out why his blood was humming in his ears and his heart was thumping painfully in his chest.

 

“Um, sorry, what did you say?”

 

Jackson looked at him, confused, not able to make out the words that barely left Jinyoung’s mouth. Distress was still evident in the language of his body, the blond boy desperately wanting to take his words back, but not knowing how to do so.

 

Jinyoung… didn’t want him to take his words back. Jinyoung wanted to understand.

 

And Jinyoung really wanted to get this over with.

 

So instead of forcing himself to repeat the words he had so much trouble saying in the first place, Jinyoung grabbed Jackson by the collar of his shirt and dragged him into a second kiss.

 

Time didn’t stop this time either, but the kiss lasted longer. It was Jackson’s turn to freeze in shock. The slightly shorter boy smelled strongly of cologne and his aftershave, and the skin on his lips was slightly rough as he had just bitten on it in his nervousness. Still, it was somehow just right.

 

Jinyoung found his answer.

 

“I said no. No, don’t say it’s not a big deal. No, it’s not okay to go back to the way we were before. This is a mess, and I have no idea what to do about it, but I want to figure that out with you.”

 

Jackson blinked several times consecutively, reeling from Jinyoung’s sudden reaction, one hand raising to feel his own lips as if to convince himself that the kiss really happened. Relief filled Jinyoung’s his chest as Jackson’s expression brightened, and the boy looked up the few centimeters Jinyoung had on him with hope sparkling in his almond-shaped eyes.

 

“What, really? Are you sure?? Wait, I’m not sure I’m getting this right, can you please say it again, more clearly?”

 

Jackson’s voice was turning into more of a squeal, his hands coming up in front of him in the nervous and giddy pose Jinyoung had seen a dozen times before when the other boy got excited. Laughter bubbled from Jinyoung’s chest, and he couldn’t resist using the other boy’s words against him.

 

“Yes. I, Park Jinyoung, confess that I think that I like you, Wang Ka-Yee Jackson, in that way.”

 

Their third kiss lasted much longer than the first two ones, tongues sliding against each other as their hands tangled in clothing and hair like they couldn’t stand being this close but so far any longer.

 

Time still didn’t stop, but it was perfect anyway.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> This was so cute I got diabetes. idk what came over me when I wrote over the ending, the fluffiness is simply too much.
> 
> Did you like it?
> 
> I hope you all have a nice Christmas, mine is spent lying on the toilet floor in food poisoning but I mustered the strength to post this in hope it would brighten some of yours~


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